Errors with Custom MySensors actuator (Neopixel/ws2812 Node)

[cranky]

Greetings,

I've been working with sensor networks with MySensors for quite some time. So far, it's one of the nicest APIs I've worked with in networking. But I wanted to build an actuator that would follow somewhat complicated commands to actuate a Neopixel strip.

I already have the code written, and from after reading all the documentation, should indeed work.

#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#include <avr/power.h>
#include <MySensor.h>
#include <SPI.h>
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(38, 3, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

MySensor gw;


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  
  gw.begin(incomingMessage, 10, false);
  gw.sendSketchInfo("Neopixel Node", "1.0");
  gw.present(0, S_CUSTOM);
  
  strip.begin();
  strip.show(); 
  Serial.println("Neopixel Node device ready");
}

void loop() {
  gw.process();
}



void incomingMessage(const MyMessage &message) {
  Serial.println("Incoming message");
  
  if (message.type == V_STATUS){
    // Turns on or off
    if (message.getInt() == 0){lightsOut(10);}
  }
  
  if (message.type == V_RGB){
    // Makes it a solid color
    String hexstring = message.getString();
    long number = (long) strtol( &hexstring[0], NULL, 16);
    colorWipe(number, 10);
  }
  
  if (message.type == V_VAR1){
    //Where we put the modes
    switch( message.getInt() ){
      
      case 1:
      Serial.println("Rainbow mode activated");
      rainbow(20);
      break;
      
      case 2:
      Serial.println("Rainbow Cycle mode activated");
      rainbowCycle(20);
      break;
      
      case 3:
      Serial.println("Theater chase lights mode activated");
      theaterChaseRainbow(50);
      break;
      
      default:
      break;
      
     }
  }
  
}






void lightsOut(uint8_t wait) {
  for(uint16_t i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, 0);
      strip.show();
      delay(wait);
  }
}


// Fill the dots one after the other with a color
void colorWipe(uint32_t c, uint8_t wait) {
  for(uint16_t i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, c);
      strip.show();
      delay(wait);
  }
}

void rainbow(uint8_t wait) {
  uint16_t i, j;

  for(j=0; j<256; j++) {
    for(i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel((i+j) & 255));
    }
    strip.show();
    delay(wait);
  }
}

// Slightly different, this makes the rainbow equally distributed throughout
void rainbowCycle(uint8_t wait) {
  uint16_t i, j;

  for(j=0; j<256*5; j++) { // 5 cycles of all colors on wheel
    for(i=0; i< strip.numPixels(); i++) {
      strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel(((i * 256 / strip.numPixels()) + j) & 255));
    }
    strip.show();
    delay(wait);
  }
}

//Theatre-style crawling lights.
void theaterChase(uint32_t c, uint8_t wait) {
  for (int j=0; j<10; j++) {  //do 10 cycles of chasing
    for (int q=0; q < 3; q++) {
      for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
        strip.setPixelColor(i+q, c);    //turn every third pixel on
      }
      strip.show();
     
      delay(wait);
     
      for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
        strip.setPixelColor(i+q, 0);        //turn every third pixel off
      }
    }
  }
}

//Theatre-style crawling lights with rainbow effect
void theaterChaseRainbow(uint8_t wait) {
  for (int j=0; j < 256; j++) {     // cycle all 256 colors in the wheel
    for (int q=0; q < 3; q++) {
        for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
          strip.setPixelColor(i+q, Wheel( (i+j) % 255));    //turn every third pixel on
        }
        strip.show();
       
        delay(wait);
       
        for (int i=0; i < strip.numPixels(); i=i+3) {
          strip.setPixelColor(i+q, 0);        //turn every third pixel off
        }
    }
  }
}

// Input a value 0 to 255 to get a color value.
// The colours are a transition r - g - b - back to r.
uint32_t Wheel(byte WheelPos) {
  WheelPos = 255 - WheelPos;
  if(WheelPos < 85) {
   return strip.Color(255 - WheelPos * 3, 0, WheelPos * 3);
  } else if(WheelPos < 170) {
    WheelPos -= 85;
   return strip.Color(0, WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3);
  } else {
   WheelPos -= 170;
   return strip.Color(WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3, 0);
  }
}

But when I compile, it works. Then I get the nice chirps from the gateway showing the devices are talking. I get no st:FAIL or anything. It's all OK in the debug.

As an example, from Node-red, I see the following when the Neopixel Node comes online

12/23/2015, 3:51:35 PM84cc7d74.87704msg : Object{ "payload": "1.5\n", "_msgid": "cdb13c1a.324ec", "rawData": [ "10", "255", "0", "0", "17", "1.5\n" ], "nodeId": 10, "childSensorId": 255, "messageType": 0, "ack": 0, "subType": 17 }

12/23/2015, 3:51:35 PM84cc7d74.87704msg : Object{ "payload": "0\n", "_msgid": "ff17a410.00e858", "rawData": [ "10", "255", "3", "0", "6", "0\n" ], "nodeId": 10, "childSensorId": 255, "messageType": 3, "ack": 0, "subType": 6 }

12/23/2015, 3:51:37 PM84cc7d74.87704msg : Object{ "payload": "Neopixel Node\n", "_msgid": "1e786c77.e18794", "rawData": [ "10", "255", "3", "0", "11", "Neopixel Node\n" ], "nodeId": 10, "childSensorId": 255, "messageType": 3, "ack": 0, "subType": 11 }

12/23/2015, 3:51:37 PM84cc7d74.87704msg : Object{ "payload": "1.0\n", "_msgid": "2dbec95b.d24136", "rawData": [ "10", "255", "3", "0", "12", "1.0\n" ], "nodeId": 10, "childSensorId": 255, "messageType": 3, "ack": 0, "subType": 12 }

12/23/2015, 3:51:37 PM84cc7d74.87704msg : Object{ "payload": "\n", "_msgid": "a4060382.5bfa", "rawData": [ "10", "0", "0", "0", "23", "\n" ], "nodeId": 10, "childSensorId": 0, "messageType": 0, "ack": 0, "subType": 23 }

1. Is this an improper use of S_CUSTOM? If so, can you guide me to the docs that indicate how to properly construct it?

2. Is it possible that my Node-red MYSENCAP node is improperly configured? My settings for it are
   {"message-type": "set",
   "Node ID" : "10" ,
   "Child ID" : "0" ,
   "Child Type" : "V_VAR1",
   "ACK" : "off" ,
   "Presentation" : "off"}

And then I proceed to send a "2" through an Inject node. That should send my Neopixel Node into a rainbowCycle() call.

1. I would rather have each ws2312 on its own childID. That way, I could individually address them with "HEX color/childID" and program more emergent behavior. How would the pros at MySensors approach this?

Thank you,
Josh Conway